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ATGM Launcher
An anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher is a weapon system that provides its user with armor penetrating capability, through the use of a powerful TOW missile, which can be guided by the user. Certain systems are designed to be mounted on vehicles, allowing them to counter threats posed by tanks and to clear obstructions for infantry. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 In Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Infantry Fighting Vehicles can equip a guided TOW missile as a secondary driver weapon, through use of the Alternate Weapon Package specialization. Battlefield Play4Free In Battlefield Play4Free, the TOW Missile System may be acquired for APC use when one takes the TOW missile system training for the first time. Each subsequent point in the TOW training reduces reloading time, first by two seconds and then by four. It allows the soldier to use the BGM-71 TOW or 9M133 Kornet for APCs, greatly increasing their efficiency against tanks. Spending at least one training point in this option is recommended for players who like to use APC's in large maps like Oman. Ranks #Allows the secondary TOW/KORNET missile to be fired when driving APC's. #Decreases the TOW/KORNET's reload time by 2 seconds. #Decreases the TOW/KORNET's reload time by 4 seconds. Battlefield 3 ATGM Launcher is a specialization for IFVs, Mobile Artillery Vehicles and Tank Destroyers that provides the driver with anti-armor capability. It is equipped as a secondary weapon. Like the BGM-71 TOW and 9M133 Kornet emplacements, the missile is wire-guided. The missile will continue following the reticle even after switching back to the main weapon. The guidance link may be lost if the missile travels out of view of the operator. It does excellent damage against enemy tanks, disabling them in a single hit from the front and side and destroying them if the missile hits the rear. Reactive Armor can protect against an ATGM, however. It is much less effective against infantry in the open, as the missile cannot be accurately aimed at level ground unless shot from an elevated position. The operator can, however, target obstacles or cover near infantry to inflict splash damage, expose them to other weapons, or kill them with collapsing debris. Compared to the other anti-vehicle weapons available to the IFV—the APFSDS-T Shell and the Guided Missile—the ATGM launcher is better suited for very long range engagements where the target is too far away for the guided missile to lock on and the APFSDS-T shells are too inaccurate to hit the target. However, the ATGM Launcher requires more operator attention until the weapon makes impact. TOW The ATGM Launcher is available as the TOW specialization to Tank Destroyers in Armored Kill after completing Wired Attack. The ATGM can be used similarly to how it is used on the IFV's. The high damage of the missile along with the main gun of the Tank Destroyers can make short work of enemy armor. Should an enemy vehicle equip Reactive Armor, leading the attack with an AP shell from the tank destroyer may allow a follow-up TOW to inflict more damage, as an armor panel can completely absorb a TOW missile. Vehicles without reactive armor can be disabled with a leading TOW strike, and possibly destroyed with a single follow-up shell. Mobile Artillery vehicles can also equip the TOW launcher after earning 7000 points. As they are fired from the same platform as regular rockets, the missile leaves at a much higher trajectory and sharply angles downward shortly after launch. This prevents the weapon's use against close targets, but still allows a closer range than the main weapon. Damage Statistics & Effects The following is a list of effects and damage to specific vehicle types from impacts by the TOW/ATG Missile. Vehicles not listed are vehicles which are instantly destroyed upon shell impact at any angle. Such includes Jets of all type, Helicopters of all type, Mobile Artillery, Light Jeeps, RHIB Boats and Quad bikes Damage resulting from impacts at an angle other than 90 degrees are not listed due to slight variations of damage at different angles of degrees of shell impact. Gallery BF3LAVTOW.png|ATGM HUD of the LAV-25 BF3VehicleTOWMissile.png|ATGM in flight fired from a LAV-25 BF3BMPTOW.png|ATGM HUD of the BMP-2M BF3BMPTOWThermal.png|Thermal optic view of the ATGM HUD of a BMP-2M BF3SprutTOW.png|ATGM (TOW) fired from a Tank Destroyer BF3TOWStrike.png|ATGM action diagram Battlefield 4 TOW Missile appears as a vehicle specialization in Battlefield 4, ''available for Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Attack Boats by default, and Attack Helicopters. Like all other tank shells, unguided rockets and rocket/missile launchers, it has the capability of damaging and destroying structures such as walls and levelling some buildings. The missile has a somewhat slow travel velocity, which is made up for by its lack of 'bullet' drop due to its rocket-assisted propulsion. This allows the vehicle operator to engage both ground and aerial targets effectively at mid to long range with relative ease. At extremely close, point-blank range and while moving however, the TOW missile may become more difficult to control, aim and guide towards the target, as the travel trajectory must 'bend' one second after being fired. The AP shell deals moderate to heavy damage upon impact with heavy and light-armored targets depending on angle of impact. The TOW missile can only be fired one at a time with only one missile in reserve, with each reloading taking approximately 5 seconds in between. Like similar MBT shells and unguided rockets, the TOW Missile also carries a small amount of explosive, enabling it to generate light splash damage within a limited radius upon impact that can damage or kill nearby infantry. In game modes such as Hardcore where friendly-fire is enabled, operators of this weapon must take greater precaution as not accidentally team-kill, especially when operating in close-quarters situations such as through narrow corridors, tunnels, streets or alleyways. Due to the missile requiring full division of attention of the operator, the launch vehicle may be prone to enemy action whilst operating. Fired missiles leave a particularly blatant exhaust plume and missile streak which can be easily identifiable, especially vehicles equipped a magnification/zoom-in ability, where it makes visually spotting the incoming missile from a further distance easier and thus, targeted vehicle operators or infantry can act accordingly. The Auto Loader vehicle Specialization reduces the time taken to reload between shots. All incoming missiles are negated upon activation of Active Protection systems of the targeted vehicle, while Reactive Armor requires impacts to deal higher damage to count as critical, retaining mobility. To operate, the vehicle operator must select the secondary weapon of the equipped vehicle. The cross HUD icon and text display on the bottom left-hand side of the screen will indicate when or whether the secondary weapon equipped, ready to fire, or reloading. Once selected, the operator must aim and fire at the target with the primary fire button. Once launched, the operator then must manually steer the missile towards the target aimed by the cross-hair. Depending on the range and movement, the operator of the TOW Missile must also compensate by leading the target or to manoeuvre the missile to avoid obstructions. Striking armored targets directly at a 90 degree angle either at the front, side or rear can produce different results with varying damage. Striking most light-armored targets, including Attack Boats at a 90 degree angle at any side of the vehicle usually produces a critical hit, especially when Reactive Armor is not present while impacts other than 90 degrees will often deal less damage. For action against Main Battle Tanks, 90 degree impacts at the front deals the weakest amount of damage and no critical hits regardless of angle and presence of Reactive Armor. 90 degree impacts against the side armor deals medium damage and critical hit depending on presence of Reactive Armor. Direct impacts towards the rear of all MBT at a 90 degree angle deals the most damage and will result in a Mobility Kill regardless of presence of Reactive Armor. All MBTs can be dispatched with as little as 2 TOW missiles to the rear with this method. The missile also has the ability to lock-on to laser designated targets for a damage boost. When focusing on a more anti-vehicle, anti-armor-orientated combat role, the operator may choose to equip APFSDS-T Shells in IFVs for ease of engagement of vehicles at longer ranges with increased damage than the default 25mm shells, or to combat against aerial threats more effectively. To compensate for the lack of infantry-orientated weapons, the vehicle operator can choose to employ a secondary gunner, or in more convenient (or desperate) situations, switch to the secondary gunner position themselves temporarily to dispatch hostile infantry before switching back to the driver seat or to employ the AP shell itself as a last resort, especially when both primary and secondary weapons are still reloading. When targeting hostile vehicles head on, activation of Active Protection systems (if equipped) at the right moment can mean the difference between victory or defeat. The driver or secondary gunner can also, if equipped, choose to exit the vehicle quickly, select a dumb-fire rocket launcher (preferably an RPG-7V2 or similar), fire at the target then re-enter the vehicle as quickly as possible before the enemy armor completes their reload/attack phase. When executed correctly, this can deal an extra damage boost between primary weapon and/or secondary reload of the cannon, with the next or second shot of the TOW Missile or primary canon shells usually resulting in target destruction. After the introduction of the ''Battlefield 4: Community Operations update, a direct hit against Helicopters of all types will no longer result in instant target destruction however, will result in a Mobility Kill and critical disable of the target. A short burst of the driver's primary cannon or secondary gunner's machine gun will ensure target destruction. For a more infantry-orientated role, the operator of the vehicle and shell can choose to equip the default 25mm HE Shell or Canister Shell enabling easier dispatch of pockets of infantry resistance with relative ease while the secondary weapon is reloading. However, this can leave the vehicle operator more vulnerable to hostile armor, as the operator may be left with less effective means to counter them. The TOW Missile's splash damage, accuracy and lack of 'bullet drop', also eases the difficulty of engaging hostile infantry at extremely long ranges. In this method, the operator can utilise the missile in the same way a Sniping Rifle. For Attack Boats, the TOW Missile can be employed similar to the TV Missile, as a discrete attack weapon as it lacks the requirement of a target lock, however in naval-warfare based maps such as Paracel Storm, the TOW Missile's guidance and trajectory may be negatively effected by waves from the ocean, as it can both obstruct view and/or cause it to destruct upon contact with the water. For Attack Helicopters, the on-board TOW Missile is most commonly used in conjunction with the primary rocket launchers to deal a damage combo and quick destruction of ground targets, usually in a single pass. However, the lack of counter-air weapons in place of the TOW Missile may render the vehicle vulnerable to other aerial threats. This can be compensated by the employment of a secondary gunner. Despite this, the TOW missile can be used as an instant-kill weapon against other helicopters although this can be difficult at longer ranges. All in all, the TOW Missile is a well-balanced and versatile weapon, able to be utilised and adapt both quickly and well for almost any situation and thus, has proven itself to be a popular choice for many Attack Boat, Attack Helicopter and IFV operators over other available selection of tank shells. Damage Statistics & Effects The following is a list of effects and damage to specific vehicle types from impacts by the TOW Missile. Vehicles not listed are vehicles which are instantly destroyed upon shell impact at any angle. Such includes Jets of all Types, Quad Bikes, PWC, Scout and Attack Helicopters. Damage resulting from impacts at an angle other than 90 degrees are not listed due to slight variations of damage at different angles of degrees of shell impact. Damage results are gathered post-2015 Battlefield 4: Community Operations update and are subject to change without notice by game developers from time to time. Gallery BF4LAVTowFire.png|TOW Missile being launched from a LAV-25 BF4LAVTowHUD.png|TOW HUD of a LAV-25 Bf4TOWThermal.png|Thermal Optic TOW Missile HUD. BF4VehicleTowStrike.png|TOW Missile action diagram Trivia Battlefield 3 *The missile will travel dead ahead for about 10 meters before adjusting towards the operator's target. During this time and a few seconds after, it is possible for the missile to travel through obstacles and even walls, similar to weapons such as the M224 Mortar and rockets fired from mobile artillery vehicles. *The damage output of all TOW/ATGM are the same, regardless of launch platform. Category:Specializations of Battlefield 3 Category:Specializations of Battlefield 4 Category:Specializations of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Category:Training